Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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The natural choice for cheese Contact - McKenna Marketing Tel (415) 621 2569 Twitter @PetersYardUSA www.petersyard.com NEW ( ) 90g Net wt. 3.2 oz ( ) 90g Net wt. 3.2 oz retailer profile numerous specialty food brands are featured. Crème Fraiche from Vermont Creamery and Dubliner cheese from Kerrygold, have slots in the cheese case. Arrabiata and Alfredo sauces from Sauces 'n Love are merchandised above 365 Every Day Value sauces. Free-standing merchandisers touting "Flash Finds" and "Our Favorite Craves" feature specialty items on discount. Annie's Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese, for instance, were offered at 10 for $10 in a six-week promotion. The regular retail is $1.99 per box. Purely Elizabeth gra- nola was offered for 10 percent off its $6.99 price for members of the retailer's rewards program. Brands of the moment, including Beyond Meat's plant-based burger patties and Halo Top Ice Cream, get good play. Halo Top claimed six rows of the frozen dessert case, more real estate than any other brand. The prepared food area, close to the checkout line, includes a large salad and food bar and sliced pizza, all billed as "Real Food, Pure & Delicious." There's call-ahead pizza ordering with all pizzas for $16. The square pies come in four f lavors, eight slices per pie. There's also a hot case for roast chickens. Snacks like 365 Sea Salt and Dill Pickle chips and Arare Rice Crackers from Lotus Foods are merchandised above the salad bar. Prepackaged grab-and-go items include 365 brand sushi, salads, and snack boxes such as Spicy Harissa Salmon, Sesame Tofu Salad with Noodles, Mediterranean Snack in a Box, and Superfood Salad. A small selection of other brands includes Café Spice Indian entrees and Nona Lim Bone Broth. Bakery items, closest to the check- out area, include names like Orwasher's, Balthazar, Roberta's, Hot Bread Kitchen, and Bread Alone. Throughout the brightly lit lower level, out-of-stocks were hard to ignore. There were vacant rows in the cheese case, in the olive oil section, and hot chick- en case. It's a well-documented issue that Whole Foods Market has struggled with since a new inventory management system was implemented last year. Neil Stern, senior partner of retail con- sulting firm McMillan Doolittle, says that 365 has had growing pains, but it also has promise. "If you're accustomed to shopping at Whole Foods, there is less visual appeal," he says. "What you lose there you are gaining in convenience and price. I think they're defi- nitely onto something. Hopefully Amazon has the patience to stick with it." Louise Kramer is a New York City- based freelance writer. Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 273 46 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com